Niseko Japan

Our kick off to season 2 is an in depth look at skiing with Niseko Japan with Kim Reichhelm.

Niseko is a gem located in the northern part of Japan's main island, Hokkaido. It's known for epic snow, unbelievable landscapes, and a ski culture unrivaled in the US and Europe. No matter your skill level, Niseko has something to offer.  Located in Hokkaido prefecture, 2.5hrs drive from Chitose Airport and the city of Sapporo. The area is comprised of 4 interlinked ski resorts. Averaging around 15m+ of snow each season, Niseko is famous for its wide open powder bowls, tree runs, and stunning views of Mt Yotei.

If you are looking for a ski destination where the snow seems to fall almost endlessly, the food is as memorable as the skiing, and the experience feels genuinely different from a traditional North American or European ski vacation, Niseko, Japan, should be near the top of your list. Located on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, Niseko has earned a worldwide reputation for deep, dry powder, spectacular mountain scenery and a ski culture unlike anything you'll find in the United States or Europe.

The numbers alone are enough to make an impression. Niseko averages around 15 meters of snow every season, and during the heart of winter, it can seem as though the snow simply doesn't stop. The region is particularly famous for its wide-open powder terrain, tree skiing and views toward Mount Yotei, the striking volcano that dominates the landscape.

But Niseko is more than a snow destination. To really understand what makes it special, it helps to talk to someone who has spent decades exploring the world's mountains. Kim Reichhelm, a former U.S. Ski Team member, NCAA All-American, professional ski racer and two-time World Extreme Skiing Champion, has made Niseko a regular part of her winter program. She first visited in 2013 to research the area, meet guides and understand the hotels and skiing before bringing her own guests. Since then, she has returned year after year, often leading several groups during January and February.

Why Niseko Gets So Much Snow

The secret to Niseko's remarkable snow is its location. Hokkaido sits far enough north to receive extremely cold winter air, and that cold air interacts with moisture to produce the region's famous powder. Kim describes the snow as exceptionally dry and notes that you rarely see the sun during the winter months. That may not sound particularly appealing if you're looking for a sunny ski vacation, but for powder skiers, cloudy skies and continuous snowfall are exactly what you want.

One of the great advantages of skiing in Niseko is that you don't necessarily need a helicopter or a snowcat to find fresh snow. The mountain has a series of gates providing access to sidecountry terrain, allowing experienced skiers to move beyond the groomed runs and search for untracked powder. It does require some effort, and understanding the terrain is important, but the opportunity to find fresh snow directly from the lift system is one of the things that makes Niseko so appealing.

Getting to this powder paradise, however, does require some commitment. From North America, travelers generally need to go to Tokyo before connecting onward to Sapporo, on Hokkaido, followed by approximately a two-hour drive to the Niseko area. It isn't the easiest ski destination to reach, but as Kim points out, the effort is worthwhile. If you're traveling halfway around the world for exceptional snow, the journey is part of the adventure.

Where Should You Stay in Niseko?

One of the first things to understand about Niseko skiing is that Niseko isn't simply one resort or one village. Several ski areas surround Mount Annupuri, and together they are known as Niseko United. Visitors often use “Niseko” as a general term, but there are several different villages and bases, each with its own character.

For Kim, Hirafu is the preferred place to stay because it offers a particularly good combination of skiing and village life. Rather than being isolated in a single hotel, visitors have access to a wide range of restaurants, bars, equipment shops, rental operations and accommodations. Hirafu also provides convenient access to the wider mountain, making it an excellent base for skiers who want to explore different parts of Niseko United. That combination is important because the Niseko experience extends well beyond the lifts. After skiing, Hirafu gives visitors plenty of choices for dinner and drinks, and the village has developed an impressive international reputation. It can be busy, particularly during peak periods, but that energy is part of what makes it an attractive destination for a ski trip

Bring the Right Skis

If you're going to Niseko, don't underestimate the importance of having appropriate equipment. Kim strongly prefers to travel with her own skis because she wants to know exactly what equipment she will be using when she arrives. Given the amount of snow Niseko receives, she recommends skis wider than 100 millimeters underfoot, with something in the 112-to-115-millimeter range being a good everyday choice. That recommendation makes perfect sense when you consider the conditions. Niseko can receive a foot or even two feet of snow in a 24-hour period, and the ability to stay on top of that snow rather than sink into it makes a huge difference. Powder skiing is tremendously fun, but it is also a skill. If you've never spent much time skiing deep snow, the experience can be surprisingly demanding.

That is why Kim recommends that intermediate skiers develop their powder skills before traveling to Japan. In her view, Niseko isn't the ideal place to learn how to ski powder for the first time. There is groomed terrain and accessible skiing, but if you've traveled all the way to Hokkaido, you want to be able to take advantage of what makes the destination special.

Why a Guide Can Make Your Niseko Trip Better

Even for experienced skiers, Kim recommends hiring a local guide, particularly for the first few days. Niseko's terrain is constantly changing, and a guide can help determine which gates are open, where the best snow is located, how the weather is affecting the mountain and which areas are likely to be crowded. A local guide also knows how to navigate the mountain efficiently, which can save valuable time on a powder day.

That local knowledge becomes even more valuable when the snow is deep. Kim describes using both a lead guide and a tail guide with groups so that nobody gets left behind if they take a fall or become buried in deep powder. Anyone who has tried to stand up in waist-deep snow knows how exhausting that can be, particularly when you're carrying skis and trying to climb out of a hole. Niseko's terrain also makes it an interesting destination from a safety perspective. Much of the terrain isn't especially steep, with large portions of the mountain below approximately 35 degrees. Kim notes that this creates a different avalanche environment from steeper destinations such as Alaska, Chile or parts of the western United States. That doesn't eliminate avalanche risk, of course, and sidecountry skiing still requires appropriate equipment, knowledge and judgment, but the moderate terrain is one reason Niseko can offer such accessible powder skiing.

When Is the Best Time to Ski Niseko?

January and February are the classic months for a Niseko trip, when cold temperatures and frequent storms create the conditions for which the region is famous. The volume of snow can be extraordinary, and the continual refresh means that skiers often have opportunities to find powder throughout their trip. The biggest thing to watch on the calendar is Chinese New Year. The timing changes from year to year, but the holiday period can bring significantly larger crowds. Even then, an experienced guide can help skiers avoid the busiest areas and find quieter terrain. Kim explains that once you move away from the lifts and begin exploring the sidecountry, the crowds thin considerably.

The Food Might Rival the Skiing

For many visitors, the food becomes almost as memorable as the powder. Japanese ski resorts offer a completely different mountain dining experience from the typical cafeteria found at many North American resorts. Kim describes fresh-made ramen, curry and other Japanese dishes prepared to order on the mountain, with an emphasis on quality and presentation.

Hirafu's restaurant scene takes things even further. Hokkaido is known for outstanding seafood, fresh produce and high-quality beef, including Wagyu. Traditional dishes such as shabu-shabu offer another way to experience Japanese cuisine, while small restaurants throughout the village provide everything from sophisticated dining to intimate local experiences.

There is one important piece of advice: make reservations early. Many of the restaurants are tiny, with limited seating and only a couple of dinner seatings each evening. During busy periods, you can't necessarily expect to walk in and find a table.

Don't Leave Without Visiting an Onsen

One of the great pleasures of a Japan ski trip is discovering the country's onsen culture. Hokkaido is filled with natural hot springs, and some are located close enough to the ski areas to visit after a day on the mountain. Kim actively seeks out these experiences on her trips because they provide something that goes well beyond skiing. An onsen isn't simply a hot tub. It is a traditional Japanese experience with its own customs and etiquette. Guests clean themselves thoroughly before entering the communal baths, and the bathing experience is intended to be relaxing and restorative. After spending the day skiing powder, soaking in a hot spring surrounded by the winter landscape is a pretty spectacular way to finish the day.

The Real Reason to Go to Niseko

Kim's philosophy about skiing perhaps explains Niseko better than any statistic about snowfall. She believes a great ski trip isn't about counting vertical feet or trying to squeeze as many runs as possible into a day. It's about enjoying the entire experience — skiing good snow, having a memorable lunch, discovering a hidden restaurant or bar, meeting people and experiencing the culture of the place you're visiting. That philosophy seems particularly appropriate for Niseko. Yes, come for the incredible powder. Come prepared with the right skis, hire a good local guide and get out early when the forecast calls for a big storm. But also take time to enjoy the food, explore Hirafu, experience an onsen and discover some of the small, authentic places that make Hokkaido so distinctive.

Niseko isn't simply a place to ski powder. It's a place to experience skiing differently. The combination of extraordinary snowfall, accessible terrain, Japanese culture, outstanding food and genuine hospitality makes it one of the world's most compelling ski destinations. For anyone who loves powder and is willing to make the journey, Niseko may just be the ski trip you remember longest.

Contact info for our guest, Kim Reichhelm, at Ski with Kim - https://www.skiwithkim.com/ email- info@skiwithkim.com

Episode Transcript

And welcome to episode two of one of the Where to Ski podcast with me, your host, John Morgan. Thank you for joining. Today, we're heading to Japan, grab your skis and let's dive into the world of skiing in Niseko.

My guest today lives and works on mountains all over the world, Kim Reichelm knows skiing. First as a member of the US Ski Team, as an NCAA All-American for the University of Colorado, as a professional ski racer, and as a two-time World Extreme Skiing Champion. She was named by Skiing Magazine as one of the most influential skiers of all time.

Niseko is a hidden gem located in the northern part of Japan's main island, Hokkaido. It's known for epic snow, unbelievable landscapes, and a ski culture unrivaled in the US and Europe. No matter your skill level, Niseko's got something to offer.

Located in Hokkaido Prefecture, two and a half hour drive from Chitose Airport and the city of Sapporo, the area is comprised of four interlinked ski resorts, averaging around 15 meters of snow each season. Yup, that's 15 meters. Niseko's famous for its wide-open powder bowls, tree runs, and stunning views of Mount Yotai.

Kim, thanks for joining us today. Let's talk Niseko. Japow, one of my favorite subjects.

I know it is. I know it is. I'm excited to talk to you about it.

When did you start going to Japan? How did you get so hooked on it? Japan had started being a hot spot probably 15 years ago, 12 years ago. And I had been hearing a lot of stories about the amount of snow and the quality of skiing and the experience, and I'm always looking for new places to take my guests. But I never take clients anyplace that I haven't already been.

So I had an opportunity to go on a trip in 2013 with some friends, and went to Niseko, and on that trip just got to do some research and check out different hotels and learn my way around and interviewed a bunch of different guides and sort of got my bearings basically on the area. At the same time, did a lot of research in other locations and other options besides Niseko. And the following season, I just put it out there to some of my return guests, people that I knew well that would understand that it was my first year and that I was still sort of feeling my way through it.

And since then, it's just been, you know, I do sometimes two or three groups in January and February, and it's just always been a really positive experience for everyone. Well, and it sounds from everything I see that you post and you put online and do other things with, that the powder is just amazing. It's like, it sounds like it's one of your favorite places to go.

It's insane. I mean, it's just the amount of snow, it just never stops snowing. You rarely see the sun.

I sometimes have people go, oh, well, we'd like to go heliskiing. I'm like, yeah, no, heliskiing in Japan does not happen. You need sunshine and clear skies for heliskiing, but you don't need a helicopter because finding on track snow is really easy to do.

You have to work for it a little bit as you do anywhere, but it's spectacular. And Niseko really allows you to get off the beaten path easily and side country gates throughout the mountain, make for access to untracked powder pretty easy. So getting there, it's not like jumping on a plane from the East Coast and going to Denver or Salt Lake.

It's a commitment. It is a commitment, and all good things take effort, and it certainly is worth it. But you fly from wherever to Tokyo, so you got to get yourself to Tokyo.

It's easiest from L.A., but there are other locations, Dallas, Denver has direct flights. And then from Tokyo, you need to take another flight to Sapporo. So I go to the northern island, Hokkaido.

The research that I've done and the experiences that I've had, it's colder up north, and the snow is colder and drier, and you don't get the warmer temps and the moisture that you get down in Honshu, the lower island. And from Sapporo, it's about, what, a two-hour drive if you drive it? Yes, it's two hours from the airport to Parafu, which is the town I like to go to in the Niseko area. So you're talking about where you stay there.

It looks from what I've seen, and it's been a long time since I've been anywhere near Sapporo. I've skied around there, but not at Mikesco. It looks like it's really four areas on the same mountain.

So you can sort of choose where you want to ski, you stay centrally, and you can choose where you want to ski and go up? Absolutely. So Anapuri is the name of the volcano, and there's five different resorts around the base of the volcano. And so it's all called Niseko United.

So people say, oh, I'm going to Niseko, but it could mean any one of the five villages. The one village that I like to go to, which really has a lot more options for dining, bars, the food is absolutely incredible. There's lots of retail stores for renting equipment, and there's a lot available in Harafu.

So Harafu is where I like to go because you're not secluded into one hotel and just sort of isolated in that one hotel. There's a lot of options. And from Harafu, you have easy access to the entire volcano and can go in any direction you want to.

You said something that sort of piqued my interest, equipment. What equipment would you use for this? Is this the same equipment you'd use like skiing powder out West, or is this something that you should just rent over there? Well, you can do either as far as your equipment. I feel like I'm not going to travel a long ways from home without my own ski.

So just would never would be willing to take that risk. And I have to be honest with you. Sometimes it's a little bit of a red flag when people say, well, I don't want to bring my skis.

I'm like, well, that means you might not be that serious about the adventure we're about to go on. Because for me, I would never risk not having my own equipment and be 100 percent sure that I'm on equipment that I enjoy skiing on. Because there's so much snow, I recommend everybody ski on a ski that's over 100 millimeters under foot.

So something between 112 and 115 is a great ski to have every single day. And you really don't need anything else. That's very helpful.

I agree with you. I'm bringing your own equipment. I would never go anywhere.

I carry skis all over the world still and it breaks my back, but it's worth it. Let's get on the mountain. There's a lot of skiing there.

What would be a great day for an expert type skier to go on their own and ski or even with a guide? I would assume you need a guide in a lot of situations. Well, I always recommend a guide. I just think that especially again, you've spent a lot of money, you've traveled a long way.

Why waste your time not knowing where to go, where to be, what time of day? There's a tremendous amount of side country in the area. So you need to know what gates are open, what time they're open. You look at the weather every morning.

You look at the wind, how much snow we got the night before. You take in a lot of factors when you start your day. And if you don't want a guide the entire time you're there, at least hire a guide for the first two or three days and learn your way around the mountain.

So then you have a good feel for the kind of skiing that you want to do and how to get to those places. For me personally, I don't go anywhere without a guide. I hire a local in Niseko.

He has his finger on the pulse of the resort. He's been skiing there all season. He's been there for 15 years.

He knows everything there is to know. And with two of us, it allows me to focus on the experience of my guests and I depend on him to guide us and take care of us. And then when you do have deep snow and people take a fall, if you have a lead guide and a tail guide, that tail guide is able to help you if you fall or have a situation where you're wallowing around in the snow.

I don't want people to waste energy trying to get out of deep snow and I can swoop in and pack out a spot and reach down and pull them up and get them back on their feet quickly without feeling like they've been left behind and nobody's going to ever find them buried in snow over their head. That's actually a good point. I use guides a lot too because every mountain skis differently.

You go to a new mountain and you don't know where to ski first thing in the morning depending on what the snow is doing and where it's been skied heavy, where it hasn't. And then especially in Europe, for example, mountains ski according to the sun a lot and you have to move around. I guess in the Casco you don't worry about the sun so much.

No, you don't have a lot of sun, but there is one area that does face more south and if there is any sun at all that might peak for a moment or two through the clouds, it heats quickly. And because it heats whenever it warms slightly, that snow is going to be more firm underneath because there's more melting and more moisture underneath. So definitely you look at a map and go, oh, this looks really great.

Let's go over here. But you don't know what it was like three days ago or what kind of conditions we had prior. And again, that's where a guide comes in and just makes the decision making better.

You get up to the top of one lift and you have the option to go two or three different ways and that guide knows, oh, there's a really big line on this lift. Let's traverse over and grab this other lift or it's dumping and cold and windy. Let's jump on the gondola for our first run and make sure we stay warm and dry before we get going so we can heat our bodies up and get loosened up without freezing on the chairlift before we've made a run.

So for an expert, though, where would you start? Where do you start for a high level group? What's your favorite starting point? I have been staying in the same place for quite a while. It's called The Val. It's run by a hotel chain called Nassade.

It's ski in, ski out right at the base of town. So we roll out the door before the lifts open. We only buy our tickets each day because you just don't know what's going to be open, what isn't, what portions of the mountain.

In the Nassakel United, you don't have to buy a lift ticket for the entire place. You can buy a lift ticket for just a portion of the mountain. So we make a decision in the morning where we were going to ski.

We buy our lift tickets and we get in line before the lift opens. From there, it's about three lift rides to get up to the top of the mountain. And, you know, it's all good, John.

It's just, there's just endless amounts of snow. I mean, last year it snowed a foot to two feet every 24 hours. Do you get in any situations where it's just snowing so much you can't go out at all and they have to do avalanche controls, things like that? Sometimes, well, the resort is always open.

I've never had, the only thing that closes the resort is not the amount of snow, but wind. So you do have wind holds if the wind is blowing really hard. You know, it's not, and this is one of the things I really like about skiing in this area, it's not super steep.

You know, if you're looking for a really steep, radical ski experience, that's, it's not Japan, or at least in the Northern Island. I do know in the Alps down south that you get some bigger mountains. But with that, you get some more avalanche danger.

Niseko, you just don't have huge avalanche danger because a lot of the terrain is not steeper than 35 degrees. That's not that steep, no. No, it's not.

And it's great from a guiding standpoint, it makes it lovely because I'm not always worried all the time. I don't have to have this huge safety protocol that we have in places like Alaska and Chile and some of the steeper terrain, or even in the United States where it's dry in the middle of the country. Interior, B.C., Utah, Colorado.

The snow is so dry in that area in our country. You know, avalanches are prevalent. The snow layers don't bond.

Where in Japan, because there's such a high moisture content in the snow, you're only skiing the reset. So the snow comes in, the cold air from the Arctic sucks the moisture out of the snow layers and bonds those layers. So you're really, the powder you're skiing is only the snow that you've received in the last 24 hours.

That's pretty cool. You dig a pit and you get down to the last 24 hours of snow and you're hitting a hard surface. It's firm and really, really set up.

And it's great from a safety standpoint because you don't have to worry about those layers shearing and causing big avalanches. You know, we've been talking about more of the expert skiers, people that can handle two feet of powder at a time, even though it's not so steep. That's still, you know, two feet of powder is two feet of powder.

You need some skill to do that. What if you're an intermediate or just part of the part of your party is just getting started? How's that work out over there? Well, honestly, for me, I don't take intermediate skiers to Japan. I just recently had a couple contact me that wanted to go to Japan and we started talking about their ability.

And I was just like, you know, it's this isn't a place to learn how to ski powder. Let's let's go to Aspen and ski the resort a couple of days and maybe snowcat ski a couple of days and work on your skills so that you're proficient skiing powder. So when we do go to Japan, you can enjoy it.

To me, it just seems like a long way to go if you can't enjoy what it's designed to do in that ski powder. That being said, they do some grooming. There's plenty of skiing off the lifts.

And they there's always something to ski that's that's doable. But just not it's not what you go to Japan for. So my recommendation is learn how to ski powder before you travel to Japan.

You'll have a lot more fun. Yes, you will. You go over there.

What, January, February, is that the best time to go? Are there things like festivals you need to avoid where it gets really crowded up there? The Chinese New Year is the one time of year that you try to avoid and that changes every year. So you have to look at your calendar and figure out when the Chinese New Year is. Other than that, you know, it's getting busier and busier every year.

And one more reason to have a guide who knows where to be, when to be there, when the queues get long and how to avoid those queues. And it's not so bad. You know, there's a lot of people around, but there's not very many people that are going where I'm going.

So it's pretty easy for me to to get away from the crowds and get out and experience. And that's another reason why I like to take more advanced skiers, because, you know, the topography of the volcano requires some some side stepping and traversing. So you might go out a gate and then now you're in a side country situation.

And the farther you traverse away from the chairlifts, the fewer tracks there are. Certainly the snowboarders can't go anywhere near where the skiers can go because of our ability to maneuver. And, you know, you're just you're just constantly looking for those fresh tracks.

You know, if you get up in the morning and we got a foot and a half of snow, of course, your first couple of runs are close to the lift. You get back on the lift and go out and go a little bit farther and a little bit farther each run as far as you need to go to get fresh track. That sounds pretty cool.

You've been talking about staying in the town and about the food. Maybe you can elaborate on that, because it's not the same as what we see in the U.S. I know that. Oh, my.

I mean, the food, like right from your your lunch spots on the ski resort is amazing. Like it's fresh made ramen and curry and everything's made to order. And it's just delicious.

And I think the Japanese really put a lot of pride into their their food and preparing their food and serving it. And so you really it's much, much different than, you know, a ski resort cafeteria. You're you're eating some very high quality food on the mountain.

And then in town, in Harafu, it's just endless. I mean, you can you can definitely spend some money. There are places that just do the most amazing food you've ever had in your life, but you're going to pay for it.

They're not only, you know, known for sushi and fresh fish, but also the Kobe and Wagyu beef is phenomenal. They do these wonderful things called Shabu Shabu, where they slice these prime pieces of meat and very thin layers. And then you gently stroke your meat through the broth and cook it yourself.

And there's fresh vegetables. And I mean, everything Hokkaido, the island of Hokkaido is known for its produce. That's probably one of the biggest producers of fresh produce in all of Japan.

And just everything is just phenomenal. And I don't know how they they're able to keep those produce so fresh throughout the winter. But everything you eat is just bursting with flavor.

And again, they really put a lot of pride into what they're making. Eating is an experience. Everywhere you go, everything is is just presented incredibly well.

And there's smaller plates of food. And it's just, you know, I just I look forward to the food in Hokkaido as much as I do the skiing. The other thing about Harafu is that most of the restaurants are very small.

They're tiny little old houses with very small seating. So you do have to plan ahead. You have to make reservations months in advance.

They usually do two seedings, one at six thirty and one at eight or eight thirty. So you can't just roll in and get into a lot of these restaurants. You have to plan ahead.

Let's spend a minute on your philosophy about skiing. You've hit it a little bit. But and you hit some before we actually started recording this.

But the philosophy that you used on skiing and instruction has really served you well with Ski with Kim. Well, I think that more than anything, and when I started my business about 35 years ago, I started as a women's only program. And my goal was to make skiing more fun for women.

There were so many women that weren't loving the sport because they were intimidated. They were afraid of getting hurt. They didn't like being cold.

They didn't want to drive was all these hurdles. It was keeping them from really enjoying what's so wonderful about it. And my goal was just to eliminate all those hassles, make it so easy and such a pleasurable experience that once you're on snow, you're you're able to appreciate the great part about skiing.

And then, you know, just building confidence, teaching people about being in the proper equipment, making sure that their boots fit properly, making sure they're on the right pair of skis for their ability. So that's a big part of of what I do with all my trips. And I don't often take people on a big trip like Japan or Alaska or Chile that I haven't skied with in the past because I want to make sure that they are dialed and they they understand my philosophy.

I'm not about how many runs we make. You know, people show up with an altimeter and want to start keeping track of their vertical. And I put that watch away.

This is about how much fun we're having. This is about quality over quantity. Let's just take our time and enjoy the whole experience.

And that might mean having a beautiful lunch in a mountain chalet and drinking Louvain or, you know, sake or, you know, just experiencing the whole mountain and everything that skiing has to offer. And it's more than just sliding down the mountain. You know, one of my goals with my my trips is, you know, searching out those really cool places, the little nooks and crannies that are off the beaten path, the the onsen.

That's a little bit of a trek off the back of the mountain. That's that's a private bath. An onsen is a natural hot spring, which is very prevalent in Japan.

They're all over the place in Hokkaido. And many of them are located within skiing distance or maybe a little bit of a tour to get to some of these places. And that experience alone is just amazing.

These these beautiful hot springs called onsens. They're very sacred to the Japanese. You actually the bathhouses are separate.

The men and women are completely separate. And you're given a towel and you go in and you're required to scrub your body from head to toe and cleanse yourself completely before you enter into the water. But just so many things about not just Japan, but skiing in general that make the experience experiential, I guess, for for lack of better words.

There's just there's more to it. And I really like offering even sometimes I find places that guides don't know of. And I'm like, hey, have you guys been to Blobo? And they're like, what? Where's Blobo? And I'm like, it's this little shack back in the alley that I came across when I was touring through the town.

And all of a sudden you go in this place and it's the coolest bar you've ever been to and authentic. And the bartenders barely speak any English. And it's just, you know, there's a lot of really cool little nooks and crannies like that.

And those are the places I seek out. My goal with my trips is to create an experience that you could not possibly get on your own. That sounds awesome.

How do people find out more about Ski With Kim? Well, skiwithkim.com is a great place to start. And then, you know, I'm pretty I'm I'm I have pretty good search engine results out there. So there's a lot of articles that have been written about myself and the trips that I go on and the things that I do and my philosophy on guiding and teaching.

And I'm pretty easy to find. And, you know, I'm my address is Kim at skiwithkim.com. Well, Kimmy, it is so good to catch up with you and hear about Japan. Thank you very much for taking time to talk to us about this, John.

And thank you so much for asking me to be a part of this. I think what you're doing is fabulous because you're right. People ask all the time, where should I go? And sometimes I feel like I'm a little bit like ask Kim more than I am a ski guide.

And I'm always happy to help people and give advice and share my knowledge with with the places that I've gone, because I just want people to ski and have fun. That's the whole idea. And it's skiing, having fun, and it's the people you meet along the way, too.

Absolutely. You might find Kim anywhere in the world skiing. She spends a lot of time in Aspen when she's not skiing.

You might find her fishing or you might find her down in Baja. If you do ski with Kim, you're going to have a hell of an experience. If you like our podcast, please share them and listen to perspectives and others like other areas like St. Anton, Palisades, Tahoe, Jackson, Sugarbush, Portillo, the Dolomites and others.

Thanks for joining.

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